Big Ten is the ONLY D1 college basketball conference scheduling games on Christmas Day - good or bad?
Didn't realize until today that the Big Ten had scheduled bball games on Christmas Day... and is the only college D1 conference to do so. Maizenbrew.com has an article about this too with some team quotes (https://www.maizenbrew.com/basketball/2020/12/10/22168047/michigan-basketball-isaiah-livers-shares-displeasure-with-idea-of-playing-on-christmas) which is worth a read.
I get there is some logic to doing this (financial and pandemic-wise, since some kids might not be seeing family over the break - but I imagine many will if not most), but this just seems ridiculous to me.
Of course not everyone celebrates Christmas and there are other sporting events on Christmas Day (almost entirely by commercial entertainment organizations), but this seems unfair for the college students (scholarship, walk-on, support staff, etc.) who are not paid professionals (and their families) to force some (maybe most?) of them to choose between playing games and their Christmas celebrations (or other family activities they would normally being doing that day).
December 11th, 2020 at 12:32 PM ^
May reduce the odds of a COVID breakout judging by what happened to the football team over Turkey Day weekend.
December 11th, 2020 at 1:50 PM ^
Bad for the teams, great for the fans, as I now have something to look forward to as I continue to live like a hermit. I understand Livers sentiment, but during bowl season football players are usually gone on Xmas day for bowl games between Xmas and New Years.
December 11th, 2020 at 2:09 PM ^
I thought Livers was pretty diplomatic about it.
Football players also missing holidays strengthens the idea that college athletes’ lives are more similar to those of professional athletes than regular students.
December 11th, 2020 at 5:19 PM ^
For sure Owen. No "amateur" plays on Christmas. It's a money grab plain and simple.
December 11th, 2020 at 12:33 PM ^
Here's the thing: All major conference programs (and possibly more) aren't going to be letting their players and staff celebrate the holidays with family. If they were to do that, the players (and staff) would likely have to quarantine for 14 days upon their return. That would obviously affect the post-holiday schedule and affect March Madness. So, the B1G teams playing on Christmas is probably a nice distraction versus just sitting in the dorms, missing spending time with family.
December 11th, 2020 at 12:46 PM ^
I disagree. The coaches and support staff go home to their families every night. It stinks for them, the players, and their families that they won’t be home on Christmas.
Edit: As not everyone celebrates Christmas, this is a somewhat narrow view. I don’t mean to downplay the importance of other celebrations and the fact games are often scheduled on other inconvenient days.
December 11th, 2020 at 12:51 PM ^
I don't disagree that it stinks for the players. The difference is that the staff's family members are already in the "germ bubble" whereas players' families are not.
December 11th, 2020 at 3:08 PM ^
I don't think it's a narrow view. Nearly 95% of the US population celebrates Christmas. Other winter holidays will naturally be downplayed in comparison.
December 11th, 2020 at 2:23 PM ^
I highly doubt this. It has already been discussed during football season that these kids are not pros and are not living in a bubble. They aren't going to have any say on whether kids or staff go home and a quarantine is highly unlikely unless it is found that someone was exposed to covid.
December 11th, 2020 at 12:37 PM ^
Good.
Gives me something to watch.
December 11th, 2020 at 1:48 PM ^
For Nebraska, anyways
December 11th, 2020 at 12:46 PM ^
Meh... Colleges have played sports on Christmas Day and New Years Day for millenia. Mostly football, granted, but sports nonetheless. And they want to play, or they wouldn't be on the teams. I'm sure if they wanted to be home more than playing, coaches would find a way to accommodate them. Besides, the day before and day after Christmas are in high demand for actual Christmas Day celebrations by hundreds of thousands of people anyway, for a variety of valid reasons.
When the players eventually have kids of their own, they're going to miss some family Christmas' at their parents house, eventually. It's not the end of the world... It's not even 2020'd up!
December 11th, 2020 at 12:46 PM ^
JFC, who cares?
December 11th, 2020 at 12:50 PM ^
This is the way.
December 11th, 2020 at 12:53 PM ^
Aren't they supposed to be staying away from their families because of the pandemic? I think this is a good thing for them. They get to be with teammates that share a common goal and in a pseudo bubble to help stay healthy.
Bonus for me, college basketball is more fun to watch than NBA.
December 11th, 2020 at 12:54 PM ^
If you want to go up against the NBA, then...okay.
December 11th, 2020 at 1:22 PM ^
I'll choose college every day of the week, 100% of the days.
December 11th, 2020 at 12:55 PM ^
In normal years, I'd say I don't really like making amateur guys play on holidays. I know high D1 sports are different than other sports, but it still feels like christmas should be a little 'sacred' from a scheduling perspective for amateurs
In covid year, as noted above these guys probably aren't gonna be able to see family anyway so it might be a nice distraction from their inability to celebrate with family
December 11th, 2020 at 12:57 PM ^
Cool with me. NFL, NBA, and some M hoops? And presents too? Bring it on.
December 11th, 2020 at 1:03 PM ^
Good. I don't like being stuck with just the NBA to watch. Of course, this year I will be showing my son who's boss in Mario Kart Deluxe on Nintendo Switch, so maybe it doesn't matter.
December 11th, 2020 at 1:25 PM ^
Bleh... My 9 yr old kicks my ass at every Switch game I've ever tried to beat him on. And I don't give quarter to 'let him win', either. So, on the real fields, I tackle his little ass hard and throw fastballs by him for the strikeouts.
Show me up on a game...
December 11th, 2020 at 1:07 PM ^
Cool by me. Something to watch before putting on Wonder Woman '84.
December 11th, 2020 at 1:14 PM ^
For me - Good
For the players - Bad
For my family - Bad
December 11th, 2020 at 1:19 PM ^
They probably shouldn’t be playing at all right now, Christmas or otherwise. Absent a bubble, it’s a formula for disaster. Have we learned nothing yet?
December 11th, 2020 at 1:20 PM ^
Here's my selfish fan side - what else am I likely to do on Christmas Day but make the traditional holiday turkey (carrying on with my very English self) and Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes and all that? I'll have hoops on much of that time, yes.
Here's the problem I see that's more important than my entertainment - the players probably would like to be home for the holidays and they can't do that with this schedule. The coaches and staff are local and being at Crisler or some other venue for a bit is perhaps an inconvenience at worst, but as I recall, many of our players are NOT local.
December 11th, 2020 at 2:16 PM ^
From now on, I'm going to presume you speak with a Yorkshire accent and read everything you write in the same vein. I realize I've very likely to be wrong here, but frankly, I'm chuffed to bits about it.
December 11th, 2020 at 1:25 PM ^
Jesus approves
December 11th, 2020 at 1:25 PM ^
I'm a little torn on it as I primarily feel that the kids on the teams should somehow be able to spend the day with their families, especially this year as the pandemic is at its worst.
On the other hand, I'm sure I and most others here will tune in and enjoy, as I'm very uncertain of "normal" family Christmas plans being within the realistic realm of possibility for a lot of folks.
As an aside, Christmas day TV viewing will also feature one can't-miss event: the very last Jeopardy telecast featuring the late and great Alex Trebek. As a lifetime JEOPARDY! nerd, that's on my must-watch list.
December 11th, 2020 at 1:33 PM ^
I am not at all one for pop culture and celebrity worship, but dammit, as a fellow Jeopardy nerd since the 80s the loss of Trebek hurt. Seeing his last appearance is indeed a priority.
December 11th, 2020 at 1:29 PM ^
Being the home team playing a holiday-scheduled game? Not so bad. Being the road team, going to say, Lincoln NE, on Christmas Day during the fiasco that is 2020? Major suckitude.
December 11th, 2020 at 1:31 PM ^
as Rasheed Wallace said, "its some bullshit man, bullshit"
December 11th, 2020 at 1:34 PM ^
Bad. That’s the NBA’s turf. I don’t even follow basketball and I know that.
December 11th, 2020 at 1:57 PM ^
NBA sucks
December 11th, 2020 at 4:42 PM ^
That wasn’t the question.
December 11th, 2020 at 1:51 PM ^
I mean, it's good for us as fans I guess, but I think Jeff Capel said it best:
“One of the things that has come about because of all of this, I don’t think anyone can say anymore that these young men are amateurs,” Capel said. “That’s out the window because they are not. They absolutely are not.”
December 11th, 2020 at 2:11 PM ^
As a viewer, I don't care. I don't have to turn on the game if there is something more significant happening. If I were a player or player's family? I might possibly care. But honestly, when has a team ever cared about its players when going through scheduling?
December 11th, 2020 at 2:17 PM ^
Love it!
December 11th, 2020 at 2:49 PM ^
First the starbucks cups, then you cant say merry xmas anymore? This war on xmas has to end!
December 11th, 2020 at 3:36 PM ^
I'd have to know how the players feel about it. If it really offends them, then it's wrong. If not, then I don't see a problem.
December 11th, 2020 at 3:56 PM ^
Isaiah Livers, for one, is not happy about it:
Isaiah Livers unhappy Michigan basketball playing Christmas Day (usatoday.com)
December 11th, 2020 at 3:37 PM ^
I think in general it is dumb. I get having the pros play on Christmas--they are paid a ton of money to entertain. The college kids aren't paid. They should (usually) be home on Christmas.
Dunno if that is different this year because of the pandemic.
December 11th, 2020 at 3:59 PM ^
Being stuck in Lincoln, Nebraska on Christmas Day with no family almost has a Planes, Trains and Automobiles feel to it, the part before Neal gets home with Del in tow.
December 11th, 2020 at 4:20 PM ^
"THOSE AREN'T PILLOWS!"
December 11th, 2020 at 4:00 PM ^
Close family friend plays big 10 bball (not for michigan) and he is excited beyond belief. My guess is some players feel that way some don't. Overall he said the guys on the team are either jacked up about or don't are either way.
December 11th, 2020 at 5:19 PM ^
Stupid, shameless money grab.
December 11th, 2020 at 5:30 PM ^
It really does drive home the fact that college athletes are a key part of a billion-dollar organization and that we should probably recognize them as such.
Hopefully they'll still be able to celebrate the holidays in some form if they want to.
December 11th, 2020 at 7:29 PM ^
Christmas should be spent with your family. There are many other days in the year they can play, go see your family
December 12th, 2020 at 12:38 AM ^
Can't extend the playoffs because these are kids and pro athletes ?